Life in a band is never easy, but it is those who stand together who triumph to the top. For fifteen years now, New England-based Metal Act All That Remains has been one of the most tireless touring bands in North America, and with an ever-progressing sound, has become one of the most well-known in a crowded genre. Breaking through into the mainstream with their third album in 2006, The Fall of Ideals, it was 2008’s Overcome that launched the band to a new level, highlighted by the increased use of Phil Labonte’s powerful singing voice. Now, after continued hard work and a slew of highly charted singles, All That Remains is up the ante in 2015, with perhaps their strongest record to date, The Order of Things. Recently, we had the chance to catch Labonte to look into the history of All That Remains, their new record, life on the road, and much more.
CrypticRock.com – All That Remains is going on fifteen years, and in that time the band really has progressed in style and become one of the bigger names in the Metal genre. Clearly, it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication. Do you feel like the band is right where you should be at this point in your career?
Phil Labonte – Yes. When we started out, we did not go into it thinking that we wanted to be the biggest band in the world and that we wanted to do X, Y, and Z. We were just happy to be able to put out records, so the fact that I can do this as a job is just the icing on the cake.
CrypticRock.com – Absolutely. Many may forget all these years later, but you originally sang for Shadows Fall back in 1997. Do you feel like that experience allowed you to grow as a vocalist when you began All That Remains?
Phil Labonte – Maybe. I was not with them for very long. I think that most of my growth has happened in All That Remains. I was in Shadows Fall for maybe a year and a half. That was the first band that I actually sang exclusively in because of other bands that I had been in before that I did play guitar and did backups.
CrypticRock.com – Obviously, leaving Shadows Fall and starting All That Remains really worked out excellently, as you can see all these years later. One of the most progressive elements of All That Remains has been your voice and the expansion of the singing range from album to album. What was the turning point for you that made you realize you had the ability to offer up such a dynamic singing style?
Phil Labonte – Just trying different things. It was always an experimentation, whether it be from when I first started out doing the Death Metal stuff with just lows, then just opening up my valves and learning how to do highs, plus doing little bits of singing here and there. It has always been a work in progress.
CrypticRock.com – Many would say the clean vocals that have been interjected on the last four to five albums have really added a wider dynamic and have expanded the band’s audience. What do you think?
Phil Labonte – It is possible. I think it probably adds a dynamic, especially with this new record, The Order of Things. Having Jeanne Sagan’s voice as a female voice on the record is something that we are always trying to change, do new things, and try different stuff. So yes, I think that it probably has.
CrypticRock.com – It certainly shows. The band’s latest album, The Order of Things, was recently released on February 27th. This is the band’s first record in three years. What was the writing and recording process like this time around?
Phil Labonte – We worked with Josh Wilbur, who has worked with Gojira, Lamb of God, and he has also done a lot of other Pop stuff. That was a big change and actually really a lot of fun. Josh is a really good dude, he is really easy to work with, and very creative. He had some really great ideas.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, as you mentioned, you said you worked with Josh Wilbur, who helped with the writing and the production of the record with you. Was his input something that gave you a different perspective?
Phil Labonte – Absolutely. This is the first record where somebody else had any kind of input on the lyrics. Up until The Order of Things, I wrote all the lyrics. This time, both Josh and I came up with ideas and bounced things off of each other. He was easy to work with, and he did not act like he had any stake in it. If he had an idea and I was not into it, he would just say, “OK, cool,” and we moved on. He is really easy to work with, and he has brought a lot to the record.
CrypticRock.com – Right, and it really worked with the record because it certainly has a lot of strong melodic and brutal tunes on it as well. It is obvious that All That Remains has done a good job over the past few years of getting that delicate balance right between the brutality, the melody, and everything else in between. Many would feel that this record is the most complete record you have made in a really long time. Do you feel like this time around, the band was firing on all cylinders and putting this one together?
Phil Labonte – I think so. I think that everyone was in the right head-space. I think that Josh had a lot to do with that. I think that he came in and made everyone feel really comfortable and excited about putting it together. Yes, I think the band was definitely in a good head-space.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, it definitely shows in the songs. They are all very strong songs from beginning to end, from the start of the record till the end. The band has had pretty much the same lineup for a really long time now. Do you feel like the chemistry has really developed over the years, and how well do you feel that you know each other now after working together for so long?
Phil Labonte – Pretty well. We know what to expect when we get together in a room. We are completely aware of each individual’s quirks, how they act, and how they respond to things. We play accordingly and go in, knowing what perspective everyone is going to have. We each try to make sure that when we are writing, we are maximizing everyone’s ability and not wasting too much time.
CrypticRock.com – Exactly, and sometimes people forget how difficult it is to keep a band together, especially for a long period of time. There are a lot of different personalities going into one piece of work.
Phil Labonte – Yes, it is tough. A lot has happened, and nobody in the band has children, but my wife and I are talking about it. Jeanne is getting married, and everyone in the band has a significant other at the time. These are things that the band has to take into account: the families and the home lives of everybody.
CrypticRock.com – Right, these things absolutely change as lives progress, like you said. All That Remains has been known to be road warriors who constantly tour. You recently completed with In Flames and will pick up with them and Periphery in April again. It seems like a band has to tour to make a living. How did that tour go, and what are some of the most important things you have learned while on the road so much?
Phil Labonte –That tour was awesome. The guys from In Flames are super cool. The crowds and the fans were great. We had actually taken most of last year off from touring, so it is nice to be back on a full tour where there is a solid package and quality bands. As for what I learned from the road, I learned to bring a lot of socks, underwear, and that kind of stuff (laughing).
CrypticRock.com – (laughs) That is a good life lesson right there. Being on the road a lot is not a normal lifestyle; you are sleeping at different times, and you are not eating healthy. How do you keep yourself healthy on the road?
Phil Labonte – We try to get to a gym as much as we can. Get in and get some exercise, and we try to make sure the bus is not full of garbage food. We have a rice maker,a crock-pot, and an electric grill. We cook as much as we can, so we do not eat McDonald’s every day.
CrypticRock.com – Wow, it is actually pretty good that you do that. Being able to cook something on the road is really great. One would imagine it is nice because many would not want to eat that kind of food all the time (laughs). As stated, it certainly is difficult for a band to sustain themselves, especially in the climate of the music industry over the past fifteen years. Having gone through the fire, what advice would you have for bands coming up?
Phil Labonte – Don’t! (laughs hard). It is hard to make a living with a band. There are a lot of bands that get worked up about people downloading music and stuff like that. You just have to get your music in front of as many people as possible, whether it be through a YouTube channel or on tour. Just get in front of as many people as you possibly can. At some point, it does become a numbers game. If you put yourself in front of enough people, there are going to be some people who will like it. It is a tough life, and you have to get out there to as many people as you can.
CrypticRock.com – Right, that is the name of the game. That is why you guys have probably been on the road a lot, as any band, to sustain yourself because no one buys records anymore. If you want to get your name out there, you have to tour constantly, right?
Phil Labonte – Yes, you really have to do that. You have to stay out as much as you can and, a lot of the times, you have to get in front of the same people a few times before you kind of convince them, or before the song they hear on Liquid Metal or Octane clicks in their head and they say, “That is a band that I saw a couple of weeks ago.” It takes time for the connection to be made for people, so you really have to get out there and push it.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, that is imperative. Speaking of making a record and touring, when you go into the studio to make a record, like the most recent one you released, do you go into it thinking, “We are making a twelve tracks record; it is really a cohesive piece, but how many people are actually going to hear this as a cohesive piece.?” Does that ever frustrate yo,u knowing that many people are not actually going to listen to the record from start to finish, buy it, and listen to it as it is supposed to be listened to?
Phil Labonte – I guess it is a little bit annoying, but trying to fight that is like trying to fight the internet. People today, you talk to kids, they do not have albums on their phone. They have songs, and they say, “What songs do you have on your iPod.” They do not ask, “What record do you have?” They do not have records, so yes, it is a little bit frustrating. At the same time, getting too worried about it is not worth it because it is a complete waste of time. There is nothing you can do to change it and the way that people consume music today.
CrypticRock.com – It certainly is. The bottom line is that you know you make these records obviously for people to hear, but you make them because it is your creative expression. You have to put that first.
Phil Labonte – Yes, it may sound selfish, but I have heard Metallica say this: they make music for ourselves first, and that is what we do. We write the stuff that we want to hear. When trying to write music to please a certain group, you are never going to please everybody, so you had better write stuff that you believe in. I think that people will get behind that.
CrypticRock.com – Absolutely, and quite honestly, that makes the best music. When you write something that you believe in, then that makes the best music because people can see through phony music.
Phil Labonte – I would say so; people have their own opinions on the music regardless of what you do. You better write stuff that you dig (laughs).
CrypticRock.com – Yes, everyone’s a critic nowadays, especially with the internet. My last question for you is regarding films. CrypticRock.com is a Rock/Metal and Horror news site, so we like to focus on all genres. Are you a fan of Horror films, and if so, what are some of your favorite Horror films?
Phil Labonte – Yes, I like the Evil Dead series. I have been a fan of Horror movies since I was a kid. I had pictures of myself when I was a teenager with Kane Hodder, Robert England, the guys who played the Cenobites from Hellraiser (1987), and Linda Blair from The Exorcist (1973). I have been a fan of Horror movies all of my life. I would probably say that there are even a couple of little callouts on the records from stuff that I took from the Evil Dead movies; I just kind of did a little homage. I am a big fan.
CrypticRock.com: It’s great that you’re really into Horror. What did you think about the new Evil Dead movie released in 2013?
Phil Labonte – It was cool. I liked the fact that they caught the comedy aspect of the first Evil Dead. I like that the new one has a slightly harder edge is a little more serious, and tries to be scary. It was a cool movie.
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